Fireworks Go Off for “Icons of Gay Hollywood” Exhibit!
by James Fuller, The Daily Sheet
What to do in Hollywood? Visiting Los Angeles for a summer vacation? Well, if you're a fan of Brokeback Mountain, moviemaking, gay icons, divas, drag queens, queer history, or all of the above, then you owe it to yourself to visit the "Icons of Gay Hollywood" exhibit at the Hollywood Museum. Located in the historic Max Factor building, the exhibit -- on display until July 30th -- is sure to tickle your fancy.
In addition to the Brokeback Mountain memorabilia (!), the museum exhibit dishes up a virtual buffet of gay Hollywood history, from Christopher Street West to Mae West, Bette Midler to Bette Davis, and beyond. You'll even see some Phyllis Diller thrown in for good measure. Go ahead, be jealous over her fantabulous pink frock dotted with hundreds of pouffy things and trimmed in pink flamingo feathers. Maybe they're dyed chicken feathers, but who cares? Ms. Diller is still around, and I think it's because she knows how to laugh (and what a laugh)!
It was amazing to see all of the Marilyn Monroe artifacts the museum has assembled. Did you know that our little Norma Jean Mortensen lived in over 70 residences before meeting her early and unfortunate demise? She lived in Compton back in 1937, and several unnamed streets and orphanages. Marilyn once said, "I could never imagine buying a home alone. But I've always been alone, so why couldn't I imagine it?"
Awwwww... Her ravishing beauty surrounded a shell as fragile as butterfly wings...
There are several wall-sized panels of photos -- gorgeous black and whites by photographers well known for their portraits of the Blonde Bombshell. My faves were by Andre de Dienes. You'll also see her famous before-she-was-famous nude portraits. Regarding that photo shoot, Marilyn told the media she did have something on when she posed. "What?" they asked. She replied, "The radio!"
I smiled when viewing the various MM collectibles on display and shed a tear to see the front page headlines announcing her death. Also of note are her personal effects, ranging from jewelry, hair curlers and combs, to furniture and a refrigerator. I imagined myself sitting on her fulvous yellow sofa, then imagined Marilyn's friend Montgomery Clift on that very same sofa, and thought, "Ooooh."
Look for the smiling full-length shot of Marilyn in a western outfit and cowboy hat looking very Lureen-ish. Oddly enough, it's more like something Jack might have worn in the early seventies, with sideburns and a porn-stache.
Moving along...(can you tell I loved the MM section?) we can't forget the OTHER gay icon, the incomparable Mrs. James Brolin. Yes, there is a large portion of space devoted to the still-living (and still raking it in) super-stellar-star, Barbra Streisand. The Voice. The Gowns. The Nails. The movies and albums and concerts. You'll see the outfit she wore during her guest appearance on The Judy Garland Show in 1963, and the dark blue dress from her first TV special, My Name Is Barbra, in 1965. Hello, gorgeous! She might have been a "Funny Girl" but she's a superstar today -- and for die-hard fans, this exhibit is sure to please.
Before I forget -- the bicycle from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is also on display! There's also a vintage Rolls Royce parked in the back of the exhibit that belonged to Cary Grant. Then there's the suit worn by Jack in Titanic -- the other Jack -- Jack Dawson. I almost forgot that Leonardo DiCaprio wore a suit the movie!
Moving along... Charles Pierce, Lypsinka, and Jackie Beat. Yes, there are trannys and drag queens and, ahem, female impersonators and "illusionists" featured as well. I'm sure my favorites, Jim Bailey and the trashy Divine (opposites attract!), were lurking somewhere, but there was so much to see I can't remember. There is a film clip (there are several looping video monitors on display) of Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag -- and Tony never looked better, IMHO.
Transamerica is represented, and while I'm not sure anyone would pay 100K for the femmy pink outift worn by Bree, it's on display and it brought a smile to my face. Also available is Toby's (Kevin Zegers!) trippy wizard t-shirt, and the cute necklace he wore, even when he wasn't wearing the shirt. I wonder what high price those unusual items might have aroused on eBay.
Speaking of unusual, in the center of one floor there is a fascinating facsimile of Roddy McDowall's (fyi: Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall) dark green bathroom in what was probably his Studio City home. I loved it because it really looked lived-in -- talk about a bathroom queen! A highlight for me is the framed photograph of an older Bette Davis that sat upon the commode. One can almost imagine her saying, "What - A - Dump!"
Of course, the infamous Ruby Slippers are on display. How could an exhibit called "Icons of Gay Hollywood" not have at least one pair of the glittery shoes worn by the lovely Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz? There's a Moulin Rouge exhibit too, with several of the wonderful costumes worn by the leading stars, each showing much detail and creativity. You'll see famous diva gowns worn by Marilyn, Barbra, Cher, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Eartha Kitt, Donna Summer, Mae West, Julie Andrews, Liz Taylor, Lucille Ball, and others...the list goes on.
You are welcome to go upstairs, if you like...and if you are tempted to visit the museum, arrive early to allow yourself ample time to take it all in. In addition to 3-D visual and aural delights, there's also reading material -- signage and graphics help to define the experience. For instance, I had no idea Sarah Jessica Parker was so "gay-friendly." There's a quote where she states that she's basically a homosexual man. Very odd, but I had suspicions about her from the start -- maybe she's just a metrosexual. It was fun peering into the glass cases housing historical material amassed by Christopher Street West/Los Angeles, including photos and programs announcing gay pride events throughout the years. It makes me actually miss the 80's!
In addition to three floors of iconic history (they even squeeze in a little Jeff Stryker -- which isn't an easy task), there's also the Max Factor exhibit on the main floor when you first enter the museum. Several rooms of old Hollywood glamour and the history of Max Factor and make-up will take you back to the Hollywood of yesteryear. Be sure to check out the room with floor-to-ceiling photographs of movie star headshots and informal candid photos. There's a great shot of Rock Hudson and model friend Phyllis Winger having dinner at Ciro's in 1949. What a handsome young man, and what an attractive beard! A big white candle is set before them, as if posing a question to the pair -- or perhaps it's providing the answer. Jackie Coogan's pool party in Hancock Park looked real swell, too.
Ahhh, Southern California living... Palm trees in a paved-over paradise.
Then there's the basement. Okay, so I really wanted to reenact a scene from a Stryker video in the "prison" basement of the Max Factor building, but the cell doors were locked. Apparently this area is a recreation of the maximum security unit that housed that awful fava bean-eating human, Hannibal Lechter, in Silence of the Lambs. On the basement's glitzier side, it's a foray into all things Egyptian, and Mummies. There have been over ten thousand Mummy movies made in Hollywood since the silent film era...at least it seems that way.
Oh yeah -- Brokeback Mountain! Even tho I've saved this info for last, it is the first thing you'll race to see upon entering the historic building and you will go back down for a parting glance. The Two Shirts, one embracing the other, hang silently from a wire hanger on a wooden panel. There's the postcard with a thumb tack and it's at an angle, as if Ennis hasn't yet opened the door to put away Alma Jr.'s sweater. There are other postcards, one with too much red ink stamped over the handwriting, and also the hardware store flyer in Ennis' hand when he got the sad news. On a lighter note, there's a Bettermost bean label on display -- that made my day. All this in a glassed-in box filled with images and info about the film. It's guarded on top by a life-sized manifestation from The Planet of the Apes -- a gay character, of course -- Roddy McDowall as Cornelius!
WHERE: The Hollywood Museum, 1660 N. Highland Ave. (at Hollywood Blvd.), Hollywood, CA
WHEN: 10 am to 5 pm Thursday through Sunday Began June 8 and ends July 30, 2006
PRICE: $15 for adults; $12 for seniors and children under 12.
Public Info: (323) 464-7776
www.thehollywoodmuseum.com
